DELMARVA FORECAST
Tuesday night: Cloudy and breezy. A few isolated showers. Lows in the mid 40s. Chance of rain 30 percent.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with some scattered showers. North winds could gust to 25 mph or more at times. Highs in the low 60s. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Thursday: Rain likely. Windy. Highs in the mid to upper 60s. Chance of rain 90 percent.
Halloween: Clearing skies. Breezy. Highs in the low 60s.
Saturday: Mostly sunny and breezy. Highs in the low 60s.
Sunday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 60s.
Monday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 60s.
FORECAST DISCUSSION
Normal high: 65°F. Normal low: 43°F.
Unsettled, breezy conditions remain in the forecast for the next several days on Delmarva.
An area of low pressure passed to our south on Tuesday. Nearly all rain activity has been confined to areas south of Delmarva, but there is a chance for a few isolated, mainly light, showers over the peninsula Tuesday evening. It has remained windy, though, with northeast winds that have gusted to 40 mph or more at times, especially along the Atlantic coast.
On Wednesday, the first low departs, and a second low approaches from the west. So, on Wednesday, while it will continue to be breezy, and downright windy at times in some areas, we're only expecting isolated to scattered showers during the day. Winds will shift slightly to a more northerly direction.
The second low will have more of an effect on Delmarva as it passes much closer to our area on Thursday. Expect continued windy conditions, with more widespread rain, and possibly a brief thunderstorm, although strong thunderstorms are not expected. The primary threat with all of this wind and rain is from coastal flooding and beach erosion, and the stray power outage from downed tree limbs in the strongest wind gusts. As for rainfall, we're only expecting at most 1 to 2 inches of rain, so other flooding threats are minimal at this time.
High pressure will build back in for the end of the week. Halloween will see gradual clearing, with skies mostly clear by evening. However, winds will continue to be gusty from the west, so a couple of layers might be needed under any costumes.
Winds will gradually relax during the weekend with dry conditions expected. Frosty conditions will be possible during the overnights Friday through Sunday.
In the long range, temperatures are expected to average below normal, and precipitation near normal for November 4 - November 10.
In the Tropics: Major Hurricane "Melissa" made landfall in Jamaica Tuesday. With a central pressure of 892 mb, it ties the 1935 "Labor Day" hurricane for the most intense landfalling hurricane in the Atlantic Basin. Catastrophic wind and rain is expected on Jamaica into Wednesday morning, before it then starts to accelerate to the northeast, heading toward eastern Cuba, then onward to the southern Bahamas and Bermuda. "Melissa" is not a threat to Delmarva or the U.S. East Coast.
There are no other areas of development interest in the tropical Atlantic.
The Atlantic hurricane season ends on November 30.